Half to a



(No Model.) w

I. H. BRADSHAW.

GAR COUPLING. No. 338,821. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

WimE55E5: Inventor:

NITED STATES PATENT CFFIcE.

IRA H. BRADSHA\V, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO A. E. BALL, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

EPECIFICATIOEI forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,821, dated March 30,1886.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IRA H. BRADSHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the drawings that form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in link-and-pin couplings for railway-cars.

It consists in an improved pin-holding device adapted to be operated by the thrust of 1 the link, and constructed and combined with the draw-head for operation substantially as hereinafter described and pointed out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by figures and letters, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the draw-head. Fig. 2 is sectional View showing the coupling-pin held up by the latch in posit-ion for action. Fig. 3shows the latch tripped by the link of the opposite coupling.

The draw-head A requires an opening, a, through the bottom, in addition to the usual hole for the pin, and in the top of the linkchamber A a recess, Z). The pin-holder is a gravitating latch, B, of bow shape, with a 0 knuckle, Z), pierced fora pivot-pin, d, and a short arm, B, depending from this knuckle part. A weight, D, fixed to the end of the arm brings the center of gravity below the center of oscillation,which is the pivot d. The 5 beak B of the latch is carried forward with sufficient prolongation beyond the center (Z to bring the point b' directly under the pin-hole in the top of the draw-head, and this extremity of the beak B is depressed orflattened to furnish a suitable rest for the end of the coupo ling-pin C. At the front part of the recess 1) a shoulder, e, in the body of the draw-head forms a stop for the end of the beak, and the latch is so set within the draw-head chamber that when the beak is thrown forward by the action of the weighted arm below, the de pressed end comes against this stop, and in such position its surface is directly under the pin andin substantially horizontal position to form a good rest for the pin. In such position, also, the lower face of the end is about flush with the top of the link-chamber at the front, and the curved portion of the beak is brought back of the pivot. These parts and their operation are clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The first view shows the latch set and the coupling pin in position, and the other view illustrates the mannerin which the latch is tripped by'the thrust of the link held in the opposite drawhead as the cars are brought together to be coupled.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combinatiou,with a draw-head, A, hav- 6 ing slot to and link-chamberA recessed at b, of the coupling-pin holder consisting of the bow shaped gravitating latch B, provided with knuckle b, short arm B", weight D, and beak B formed with a depressed extremity, b, said pin-holder being pivoted in the slot a, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

IRA H. BRADSHAIV. [L. s.]

\Vitnesses:

J OSEPH E. FORD, E. E. OSBORN. 

